According to the Master’s Order, Arachne slowly made her way toward somewhere.
The destination she had in mind was a massive Great Mansion located near Castle Sophia.
In terms of opulence, it felt extravagant enough to rival the royal palaces of any other country.
Upon arriving at that location, she entered the mansion without any interruptions, and…
Upon reaching the central hall, she calmly spoke to the servant who had come to greet her.
“Confess.”
“Yes, Lady Arachne. Please wait a moment.”
The servant bowed politely to her before disappearing.
So, while standing alone for a moment waiting for ‘them’…
Arachne began to ponder the current situation in her own way.
“To insult none other than Princess Cazerose… That crime surely deserves a thousand deaths. But was it necessary to move them like this?”
Of course, considering the current situation of the Empire, there was a need to proceed as discreetly as possible, even if it meant mobilizing excess forces.
Yet, even taking that into account, she thought moving them was a bit much.
“Of course, given Duchess Kattlena’s temperament, it’s only to be expected… But in a dangerous time like this, mobilizing such forces feels quite burdensome…”
While thinking about that, Arachne quietly considered whether it would have been better to share such thoughts as a secretary.
However, in the following moment…
As Arachne was lost in thought, she suddenly felt an icy chill run down her spine and slowly turned her head to politely greet the two people in front of her.
“Excuse me. Bloody, Soul.”
She bowed her head first in greeting.
Immediately afterward, she raised her gaze to look at the two standing before her.
One wore glasses, with orange-tinted red hair styled neatly, and an overall frail physique. And… although a bit young-looking, she definitely couldn’t be called beautiful.
It was Blood Mary.
And beside her was another woman, with long black hair giving off a carpet-like feeling, pale skin with a slightly translucent quality, tall stature, and a voluptuous yet beautiful figure. And crucially… a face that screamed beauty.
Soul Mary.
In that moment, the expressions on their faces clearly showed their displeasure, and Arachne could easily surmise the reason.
Before her stood two women clad not in ordinary clothes, but in nothing but underwear and a hastily draped light coat.
Moreover, conspicuously… there were liquid-like substances splattered all over their bodies.
From that, Arachne could easily guess what they had been doing until a moment ago, and she also understood that their emotional state was hardly positive.
However, without showing any sign of this, Arachne focused her eyes on the two before her.
And in response,
Bloody spoke to Arachne in a stern tone.
“What brings you here at such a late hour? The mood was heating up but has suddenly cooled down.”
“I concur, sister. I was just about to get fired up myself.”
Soul chimed in, leaning her body slightly against Bloody with a sticky smile.
Seeing this, Arachne again offered an apology and conveyed what needed to be said.
“I sincerely apologize for that. However, it is my duty as Lady Kattlena’s attendant to promptly relay the Master’s Order.”
A firm tone emerged from Arachne.
In response, Bloody frowned slightly, then let out a small sigh as her displeasure began to dissipate.
“Hah… You’re still so stiff about everything… So boring.”
“Indeed. I always feel that you lack the ability to enjoy leisure.”
“So? What exactly did our lady command that has us moving? It must be something important to require our involvement.”
“Yes, that is…”
Arachne then relayed her master’s words to the two.
And… after hearing everything,
The two women briefly wore expressions that clearly indicated their displeasure.
“So, the Duke has ordered us to do such a degrading task?”
“That is correct.”
“Is that so?”
A remarkably unflappable and unwavering reply from Arachne.
In the next moment…
–Whoosh!
“…”
“Kuh…”
In the following instant, a tingling wave of magical energy enveloped Arachne.
“Is that something you should say? It seems you’ve forgotten who you’re standing before…”
A cold voice accompanied the thickening magical pressure.
At the same time, Soul shivered slightly and took a step back from Bloody.
The overwhelming aura radiating from Bloody was enough to send shivers down even Arachne, who possessed considerable magical strength.
‘Just the pressure alone can create this level of intimidation… Indeed, monsters are monsters…’
A sudden realization struck Arachne about the strength of the being before her.
However, she continued to remain unmoved, silently observing them.
While she certainly acknowledged their power, she had a valid reason to stand there.
And…
Another individual who was equally aware of this fact.
Soul quickly spoke with concern, addressing Bloody.
“Um… sister, let’s calm down for now. After all, this is a command from Duchess Kattlena. We have no choice but to comply.”
“…Tch…”
At Soul’s words, Bloody retracted her swirling magical energy.
Witnessing this, Arachne let out a small sigh internally.
Then, with a clear voice, she addressed them once more.
“Then, I would appreciate it if you could proceed with the task as swiftly as possible.”
“…”
“Understood. We shall do just that.”
“Thank you, then…”
Soul answered in place of Bloody, and after finishing her words, Arachne left the location.
Watching her departing figure, Bloody furrowed her brow slightly and spoke up.
“To secretly kidnap the young heir of Bohemia… It must be for something political, but really, the more I think about it, the less I like this task.”
“I feel the same, but it can’t be helped. Unlike before, our status is as subordinates sworn to loyalty to the Duke, and surely we are the only ones capable of handling such matters without causing a stir.”
Soul reminded them of their situation and the validity of the task once again.
To that, Bloody wore a somewhat uneasy expression and responded.
“Well, freedom comes at a price.”
“And… even if the background of the task isn’t to my liking, it could be quite fun, right? It’s a chance to face a pretty renowned strong opponent.”
“Even so. A Rank 7 high-class mage… I wonder how interesting it will actually be, but I don’t have high hopes. Perhaps this side will be more enjoyable.”
With that remark, Bloody slowly began to stroke Soul’s ample chest.
Soul lightly blushed and smiled, and the two then embraced each other, making their way back toward the bedroom.
